Process Development Technologist – Middlesbrough
Location: Middlesbrough
Working Hours: Monday – Friday: 8am – 5pm
Salary:£36,000 per annum
Job Purpose
To support the effective delivery of the NPD and EPD agenda across the group, in line with the Compleat Food Group and customer category plans. Follow the Compleat Food Group’s Product Launch Process to deliver timely development of new and existing products in line with brand strategy, category pipeline plans and growth aspirations, while meeting brand and customer standards. Assist with Continuous Improvement projects under prior agreement.
Key Duties, Responsibilities & Accountabilities
* General: Effective delivery of the NPD / EPD process from kitchen handover to launch in line with customer category plans. Deliver the Process / NPD agenda to required cost and within agreed timescales. Manage scale up of products within site food safety and technical standards. Maintain awareness of the critical path of projects and implications of deviations. Collaborate with other Development team members across multiple projects and accounts. Deputize for the Senior Process Technologist at site when required.
* Verify: Lead the Process teams to move product from kitchen to factory, ensuring product quality and margin. Conduct pre & post-trial meetings and pre-pro meetings. Prepare detailed paperwork for trials and pre-pro: including recipe amendments, process parameters & staff training. Ensure CCPs are met (temperature, Aw, pH). Ensure food safety and product quality are 100% repeatable. Manage shelf-life and nutritional validation; organoleptic and sensory validation. Organize trials, set objectives, and communicate to relevant teams. Coordinate ordering of ingredients/packaging for trials and assess on arrival and through trials. Conduct production trials per site standards and ensure actioning in the factory. Collect and review trial data (run rates, weights, settings, labour, washouts, data logging, etc.). Work with production and planning to determine optimum batch sizes and dual processing requirements when needed. Liaise with engineering for new kit or amendments. Send products for shelf life and nutritional testing with sign-off from technical. Complete storage trials and organoleptics. Complete re-heat validation and arrange relevant testing. Complete packaging and transit trials with support of packaging technologist. Liaise with site chefs and development managers for kitchen vs factory verification panels. Highlight amendments for management re-costing and paperwork. Ensure trial material remains within standards across relevant sites.
* Documentation & Compliance: Lead process teams’ documentation to auditable standards. Use Process Development documents and procedures; assist in factory specifications. Attend HACCP meetings as required ensuring new raw materials are approved prior to arrival at site/trials. Complete process flow and site-specific food safety documents (e.g., SUSSLE). Complete trial reports and communicate actions prior to next trials. Perform nutritional comparisons against customer standards with the development manager. Collect samples for microbiological analysis and coordinate testing with the technical department for sign-off. Complete paperwork following post-trial data analysis and obtain sign-off from relevant departments (organoleptics, storage approvals, reheat validation). Gather information for document control approval and support the writing of QAS. Ensure electronic and paper copies of products are organized with relevant checklists. Support site artwork sign-off.
* Launch: Lead the launch of product to agreed standards. Support PPR meetings and ensure trials are launch-ready; maintain launch paperwork.
* Handover: Ensure efficient handover of product from preproduction to Technical, Production and other departments. Check BOM vs recipe vs costings prior to launch. Ensure shifts are trained to run products and coordinate collection of production samples for customers. Review products post-launch and address process/ingredient issues.
* Review & Continuous Improvement: Support post-launch reviews and ongoing product quality benchmarking. Contribute to costings with process knowledge and trial results. Identify cost savings and efficiency improvements. Liaise with suppliers for process and ingredient improvements. Communicate effectively with multi-disciplinary teams. Support samples for customer requests and assist other sites as required. Maintain cross-team collaboration and participate in relevant meetings. Assist with customer visits as needed.
* Health & Safety: Follow all health and safety requirements during kitchen and process development work; promote safe working practices across the site.
* General: May require time spent at other Compleat Food Group sites. Role may include weekend and night shifts as needed.
Experience & Qualifications
* HND/Degree in a food-based/manufacturing subject (desirable).
* Food manufacturing experience within an FMCG environment.
* HACCP / Food Safety Training or basic knowledge.
Key Skills & Qualities
* Planning, organization and project management.
* Effective communication at different levels of seniority.
* Problem solving and ability to identify solutions.
* Basic computing skills.
* A passion for food; product tasting across multiple categories.
* Self-motivated with enthusiasm to learn and grow.
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